People will cast a ballot for just about anything. I know I will -- voting for Giambi to play in the All-Star Baseball game (oh, yes, I'm a Yankees fan), voting for the worst of American Idol, casting my ballot in support of the best pop and lock artists on America's Best Dance Crew, and killing Prop 2½ overrides.

So in that spirit, Cintas Facility Service of Ohio is running a competition where people can vote for the best public bathroom in America and Smith College's water-themed Museum of Art restroom has the distinction of being one of the 10 finalists.

After looking at the pictures online, the museum's toilet room does appear to be a lovely place to sit and wash your hands. Here's a pic of the facilities.

From Cintas' Press Release: Immaculate, inviting and, most of all, memorable, finalists in the America’s Best Restroom VII contest have established a new standard for restroom quality. These washrooms are testaments to their proprietors’ sense of taste, flare and humor, featuring some of the world’s finest materials and customer comforts, as well as a few surprises.

The public is invited to vote online through July 31, 2008 at www.bestrestroom.com. The site takes visitors on a photographic tour of each facility and then encourages them to choose their favorite. The winner will be announced in August 2008.

The renovation and expansion of Smith College Museum of Art offered the opportunity to incorporate functional—and permanent—works of art as part of the building. Inspired by the artist-designed restrooms at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the museum invited Ellen Driscoll and Sandy Skoglund (Smith College class of 1968) to design the women’s and men’s rooms, respectively, on the lower level. The fixtures were made during residencies in Arts/Industry program, which allowed the artists to work with the resources of the Kohler Co. factory.